Fiber beater for the liberation of cellulose fibers



April 8, 1952 A. M. SPENCER ETAL FIBER BEATER FOR THE LIBERATION OF CELLULOSE FIBERS Filed June 18, 1948 Qvwwwtow. ARTHUR M. SPENCER ABN'ER JAcoBsoN. KARL SIXT.

Patented Apr. 8, 1952 BEAIIE'R FOR THE LIBERATION OF GELLULOSE FIBERS A thur M- fir neer, lSa Fe, .N. M x-J and Abner Jacobson, Cleveland, and Karl Sixt, East-Cleveland. Ohio Application June 18, 1948,, Serial No. 33,

(Cl- 932M229 The present invention relates to a heater used in cellulose fiber liberation and parti to a beater exerting a flexible whipping action and turbulent throwing effect of softened fiber bundles suspended in liquid against irregular bailies and walls designed to baffle rapidly moving fiber bundles to separate the fiber thereof into individual long fibers without abrasion, tearing, cutting or otherwise degrading long fragile fiber into inf rior shorter len ths, T e device i proved beater for various fibers butis particularly suitable for releasing digestively softened cotton stalk fiber treated in a process such as described in co-pending application, Serial Number 33,696, filed June 18, 1948.

It is a primary object hereof to provide a beater wherein the fiber is liberated by flexible whipping and af in of he tur ulen mo n of the fiber bundles.

Other objects will be inherent in the description of the invention. Reference is made to the drawings for detailed description wherein-2 Figure 1 is ,a fragmentary elevational view of a fiber beater constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view of the beater on the line 2-2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a detail fragmentary sectional view of the beater tank showing the manner of mounting a whip therein.

While the beater with certain modification may be operated in vertical or other position, it is here mounted for horizontal operation. The beater comprises a closed tank or container body l0, of rugged construction for withstanding pressure, preferably having irregular sides ll. As shown, the sides are straight and together form a hexagonal container. Any number of straight sides may be used to form a polygon or the walls may be eccentrically round such as heart-shaped, the purpose being to present a wall for stopping and ballling turbulent and rapidly moving fiber bundles in liquid suspension sis-propelled by the flexible whips, as further described hereinafter, as distinguished from sliding abrasion against symmetrically curved walls. The sides ll may be flanged and welded at their intersection to form strongly reinforcing ribs l3. The ends of the tank are closed by plates l4 and I5 of shape suitably corresponding to that of the tank In.

To enhance the baflling effect of the irregular walls, a series of spiral vanes l6 are mounted against the walls II and extend inwardly of the tank, resisting the flow of fiber suspension through the tank.

A bearing and stuffing gland l! of conventional construction is mounted the end plate 14, Aran ed in proximity to the end plate 1 s a h a ing 18. supported from the tam: walls y straps {9. A cylindrical beater duct 2B is concentrically mounted in the t i9 and has its pposi e n s iourna ed n e bea in s H d T e ea duet 2.0 is of hea y sane-e ube nd s ened to e p pe 21 for c mmun cation th a supp y o liquid, carrying in suspension, the fiber to be treated in the tanl. The pipe 21 has rigidly mounted, in driving relation thereon, a pulley wheel '22 for rotation of the pipe 2| and beater duct 20. The pulley wheel '22 is conventionally rooved to receive a driving be t from any suit.- able source of power.

The beater duct 2-9 is radially bored and threaded at short intervals to receive whip sock ets .23 which comprise bushings. The bushings are split ,at 24 and are adapt-ed to be squeezed against and grip flexible whips 25 by nuts 26 fastened on tapered threads of the split ends of bushings 23. The whips 25 pass radially to the interior of the beater duct .29 to provide whipping action inside and outside of the beater duct 20 as it is rotated. The flexible whips are preferably rubber. The passageway through each whip may be constricted by contracting the split bushing grip through movement of the nut 26. This prevents passage of the liquid from the interior of the beater duct 20 to the exterior thereof by way of the tubular rubber whips.

The whips may be disposed about the beater duct in any desired arrangement, either aligned axially or spirally, the latter arrangement tending to accelerate or impede the flow of liquid axially inside and outside of the beater duct. depending on its direction of rotation.

An outlet duct 21 is provided in one of the sides ll of the tank for withdrawal of the separated fiber suspension and, as shown, is preferably near the same end as the inlet 2|. An alignment hole and cover cap 28 is mounted in the end plate l5 to aid in alignment of the bearing Hi.

In operation, the digestively softened fiber bundles are passed into duct 2|, rapidly rotated by a motor driven belt on pulley 22, and thence passes into the inside of the beater duct 20 rapidly rotating therewith. The axially moving fiber bundle suspension is flexibly whipped by the rubber whips 25 extending into the interior of the beater duct 20 and the softened bundles begin to separate under the beating without being broken, out or abraded in the first stage. After passing axially the length of the beater duct 20,.the fiber suspension passes out of the inner end of the beater duct, is stopped by end plate I and reversed in direction, now passing between the outside of the beater duct and the walls of the tank, and ultimately leaves through outlet 21. The whips on the outside of beater duct 20 have a longer gyrating radius and consequently greater flexibility and whipping action. Moreover, during the flexing and straightening of the tubes, fiber and liquid is alternately drawn into the tubes and expelled. The whips flexibly beat and throw the pulp against the spiral vane baiiles and straight sides, giving a stopping, reversing and turbulent churning of the fiber in the liquid without abrasion, tearing or cutting of the fiber.

It will be evident that various modifications of this invention will occur to those skilled in the art and it is intended that the foregoing description be regarded as illustrative and not limiting except as defined in the claims.

What we claim is:

l. A fiber beater comprising a tank, a hollow cylindrical shaft rotatably mounted therein, a plurality of flexible whips radially mounted on said shaft extending into the hollow interior of said shaft, as well as outwardly toward the walls of said tank, one end of said shaft extending outwardly of the tank and forming an inlet for fiber suspended in liquid and the other end of said shaft being open and terminating inside of the tank close to one end, with an outlet near the opposite end of the tank.

2. A fiber beater comprising a closed tank having irregular walls shaped to baffle movement of fiber suspension turbulently whipped thereagainst, a hollow cylindrical shaft rotatably mounted in said tank, having one end open and terminating inside of the tank close to one end, and the other end thereof extending outside of the tank, forming an inlet for fiber suspended in liquid, a plurality of flexible rubber whips radially mounted on said shaft, extending into the hollow interior of said shaft, as Well as outwardly towards the walls of the tank, with an outlet in the tank located near the inlet outside of said shaft.

3. A fiber beater comprising an elongated horizontally mounted closed pressure resistant tank 5 having a plurality of straight sides joined to polygonal shape, spiral vanes longitudinally mounted against said walls, said walls and vanes cooperatively adapted to baflle movement of fiber suspension turbulently whipped thereagainst, a hollow cylindrical shaft rotatably mounted in said tank, having one end open and terminating inside of the tank close to one end and the other end thereof extending outside of the tank, forming an inlet for fiber suspended in liquid, 2. plurality of flexible rubber radially mounted on said shaft extending into the hollow interior of said shaft, as well as outwardly towards the walls of the tank, with an outlet in the tank located near the inlet outside of saidshaft.

g0 ARTHUR. M. SPENCER.

ABNER JACOBSON. KARL SIXT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 143,940 Sturdevant Oct. 21, 1873 313,070 Gent May 3, 1885 482,192 Pickett Sept. 6, 1892 1,120,534 Pruden Dec. 8, 1914 1,712,598 Werner May 14, 1929 1,913,607 McMillan June 13, 1933 2,316,769 Chilson Apr. 20, 1943 2,392,958 Tice Jan. 15, 1946 2,495,983 Richards Jan. 31, 1950 40 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 14,377 France Nov. 2, 1855 228,399 Germany Nov. 9, 1910 336,536 Germany May 3, 1921 

